When Sylvester Stallone Was So Scared Of Fighting Mike Tyson In Rocky Balboa, He Instructed His Crew, “If He Gets In, He’ll Kill Me..” (Photo Credit – Wikimedia; Flickr; Movie Poster)
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American actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone is one of the critically acclaimed actors in Hollywood. His role as boxer Rocky Balboa in the successful Rocky series’ since the first film is still discussed even after so many years. He has worked with several athletic powerhouses like Dolph Lundgren in the franchise.
Not many know that real-life boxer and athlete Mike Tyson wanted to feature in one of the Rocky movies as a possible antagonist for Stallone. However, the Hollywood star rejected the idea. Scroll down to know more.
Rocky Balboa was the sixth instalment in Sylvester Stallone’s well-known Rocky film series. 16 years had passed since the release of Rocky V, which was met with mixed reviews. Sylvester Stallone has various adjustments in mind for Rocky Balboa in light of the negative reviews of Rocky V.
The film would have stood out from his prior Rocky films by starring Mike Tyson, a real-life boxing legend, alongside Rocky Balboa. When Tyson realised there would be a sixth Rocky movie, he pushed for a role. However, Sylvester Stallone wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea of competing against Tyson, even in a hypothetical situation.
Talking to Contact Music (via Boxing Scene), Stallone said, “Mike wanted to fight me in this film, but I thought it was a bad idea. I know I’m not that young, but I’m still too young to die. I said, ‘Thanks, but I don’t think that would be a very good idea. Thank you very much.’ But he kept calling the office saying he wanted to be in the film fighting me.”
But Stallone would offer Tyson at least a bit part in the movie. “Eventually, I relented and said he could be in the audience. Then I never heard from him. Suddenly, when I turn up in the ring, he’s there at the side. I turned around and said to the crew, ‘Can you make sure you keep that son of a b**** out of the ring? If he gets in, he’ll kill me.’ The man’s a killer,” Sylvester Stallone said.
Although Stallone was unsuccessful in getting Tyson, he did manage to cast a real boxer as Balboa’s opponent in the ring. Mason Dixon, who competed in the movie as Balboa’s final opponent in the series, was portrayed by former light heavyweight champion Antonio Carver.
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